The first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 gave birth to a ‘new’ nation which
changed every sector of the country. The separate education systems and departments
created under apartheid were dismantled and integrated into a single national education
framework. This meant that people from different races, cultures and backgrounds began
working together in an attempt to bring about a single, unified nation. The new
democratic government introduced legislation such as the South African Schools Act of
1996 (SASA) and the Employment Equity Act of 1998. These acts were to introduce
transformation and ensure that institutions employed an equitable distribution of staff
which reflected the demographics of the community and the nation as a whole. The
issues and challenges arising from this meant that school leaders needed additional skills
in managing a diverse workforce made up of a melting pot of cultures.
This study examines the role of school principals in managing educators in a culturally
diverse school environment. It explores the different leadership styles adopted by
principals. In South Africa schools have become increasingly diverse in terms of race,
language and religion. School principals are therefore faced with huge challenges in
dealing with these differences among their staff. The research focuses on a few of the
areas of contestation in schools whilst acknowledging that diversity involves a wide
range of issues in schools.
This is inevitable when there is a melting pot of cultures, races, languages and religions.
In order to ensure that a high standard of education is maintained in their institutions,
school principals need to understand how people from the diverse cultures present in the
school interact, and how they, as managers and leaders, could achieve integration or
synergy amongst all staff members. An attempt is also made to provide clarity on the
meanings of the concepts of culture and diversity, how it influences an individual, and
also how an understanding of these concepts could affect principals’ leadership and
management styles.
iii
The qualitative research methods that were used involved a small scale case study which
included questionnaires and structured interviews to follow up and probe responses from
the principal and educators of a school in Johannesburg. A school, which reflects
diversity amongst their staff members, was selected for this research. The school
selected had initially been an advantaged, whites-only suburban school. The changes in
demographics in recent years, and the affordability of homes in the southern suburbs of
Johannesburg, gave rise to an increase in the social movement of the black middleclass
into the area around the school. This resulted in an influx of black, coloured and Indian
families from outlying townships and informal settlements, making this community a
prime example of diverse cultures living together. After South Africa’s democratisation
in the mid nineties, recruitment of staff and learners from different race, language and
religious groups began rapidly to increase and be accepted at this school.
The school’s profile is illustrated in the form of graphs (see chapter 5), which shows its
staff composition prior to 1994 and the changes experienced since then. The responses of
the principal and educators have also been analysed with regard to their understanding of
diversity; the integration of staff; the benefits to the school in becoming diverse; and the
role and competencies of the principal in managing a diverse cultural environment. The
research methodology used was interpretive and endeavoured to make sense of the
principal’s management style in managing cultural diversity.
The research was also based on a study of the literature, which attempted to show the
extent to which effective management of cultural diversity by principals was taking
place. The literature review and the research into this area highlight the issues affecting
diverse, multicultural environments as well as some practices and beliefs of the different
cultural groups themselves.
An attempt was also made to find out to what extent schools were successful with
positive racial integration and relations (including language and religion). How the
literature supports or provides alternate views to this case study forms a critical
component of the research. The findings of this research, as demonstrated through the
iv
case study and corroborated through the literature study, show that a democratic,
participatory and consultative management style by school principals, as opposed to an
autocratic/bureaucratic management style, is crucial in managing staff diversity.

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Understanding the role of the principal in managing cultural diversity among educators.